


the way you let me in on secrets (that are already mine)

by daelighthwi



Series: The Adventures of PD101S2 [4]
Category: NU'EST, Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band), 새싹즈 | Yuehua Sprouts | YHNEXT
Genre: I'll add tags as I go along, M/M, aged up characters and aged down characters!!, mafia au!!, sorry about sihyun being evil, there's going to be another antagonist that im sure isnt all that bad irl or maybe he is idk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-23
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2018-12-16 21:32:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11837460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daelighthwi/pseuds/daelighthwi
Summary: In which Woojin discovers that not all things are what they seem to be."How did you know?" The man gasps, shoulders quaking as he stares down the barrel of the gun.A finger tightens on the trigger. "A little birdy told me."





	1. because the world can't bring us down

_**Sparrow** _

  
Things don't always go the way one wants it to, Woojin supposes, because if they did, he'd be on a white beach somewhere in Maldives, enjoying a cold drink and soaking up the sunlight.

But because they don't, he's stuck here in the office slaving over paperwork. He reaches for his mug and takes a big gulp of lukewarm coffee that's already gone cold.

He nurses his poor hand, sore after countless hours of writing reports on the city's biggest mafia - _Daybreak_.

This particular organisation had already stood out from the very beginning, being the first to have a DID-T as their leader. It's unconventional in a world where the social stigma of evil is thrust heavily upon the V-Ts and the stereotype of bad luck and failings placed on the DID-Ts.

He's got nothing against V-Ts, don't get him wrong. Woojin's one himself, and he's been on the receiving end of discrimination himself. He tends to be the one that people would pick as untrustworthy and he gets disapproving and suspicious glares from people on the street whenever he does something like reaching for his bag or reaching into his pocket. Since young, he's always been picked on for being a villain type, but it didn't tear him down. In fact, the many scars inflicted by the other children from his childhood only motivates him to do better, to strive to be greater and to prove to the world that not all V-Ts are evil.

Achieving his childhood dream of becoming a police officer was already more than what Woojin could ever ask for, an opportunity for him to redeem himself from something he never did. He's heard people whispering to themselves about the dropping standard of the country's defence which resulted from an influx of V-Ts into the police force. And yet, HQ is placing their trust in him to bring down  _Daybreak_ and put an end to the terror it brings upon the city, which is why he has to work doubly hard on this. 

It's to prove to himself that he's worth more than what people perceive him to be, and to set a good example for the V-T children who are going through the same things that he went through. Woojin promised himself that he would prove to the world that a person's Type doesn't define them or decide their future; if the stars aren't aligned in your favour, rearrange them by hand. 

And that is precisely why he's here, furiously scribbling report after report, trying to bring down a mafia so strong it has managed to stay on top for years on end.

There's not much known about the mafia, except that they have seven main members: Baekho, Emperor, Wartortle, Renki, the Chicks, and Peach. They're all integral parts of the mafia and of different Types (except the Chicks).

Baekho is the DID-T and the cause of Woojin's constant headache. Every time they have a lead, it mysteriously vanishes without a trace and the police are left again at a dead end. Woojin suspects that it has something to do with Baekho and his connections. He groans as he messes up his signature on a form. He's definitely going to have to redo that if he wants to keep his job.

"We have a new intern today," Jihoon pops his head into Woojin's office to inform him, "Don't tell me you forgot." At Woojin's scandalised look, he lets out a heavy sigh. "You know what, you have a lot on your mind. It's fine, I'll welcome him to the team. Finish your paperwork."

"No, no, no-" Woojin's hip bumps into his desk when he stands to grab at Jihoon's shirt and he rubs at the painful spot irritably. "I can do it. It's fine." He hates owing people favours. "What's her name?"

" _His_ name," Jihoon corrects, handing over a manila file, "These are his particulars. Ahn Hyungseob, 21, DP-T."

"DP-T?" Woojin's slightly surprised. DP-Ts are an extremely rare type, and the police force hasn't come into contact a DP-T since the fiasco a few years back involving a few PC-T officers and a female DP-T who was the head of a brothel. It didn't go down well.

"Yeah, DP-T. He's just a little shorter than you, kind of cute. Heard his ideal dates consist of going to amusement parks, concerts, snuggling at home with movies-"

"Jihoon," Woojin cuts in sharply, "I'm not trying to date him. He's our intern, not someone you can swipe right on Tinder."

"Okay, okay," Jihoon holds his hands up in mock surrender. "Do you want me to send him in?"

Woojin sighs. He probably wasn't going to finish his paperwork anyway, what's a few hours taken off to introduce a new member to the team?

 

 

_**Tokki** _

  
There's always only been one police division Hyungseob's wanted to go to: the one in the Seoul sector. It's like the headquarters, just not smaller scale and less high security.

Everyone has to start from humble beginnings, so Hyungseob throws away his pride at the doorstep and bravely steps through the doorway and enters the building. Someone whizzes past on a hoverboard, narrowly missing Hyungseob's nose by mere millimeters, someone's yelling at the top of his lungs, and then there's a man around his age walking over to him. It's chaotic to say the least, and Hyungseob quakes a little in his sneakers. 

He isn't sure if it's excitement or nervousness that's making his stomach so jittery.

"I'm Park Woojin, leader of the investigative team. You're Ahn Hyungseob, the new intern, right?" The man raises an eyebrow at him.

Hyungseob flushes as he struggles to find words. "Ah, yes, nice to meet you?" It comes out more a question than a definite statement and he hopes his new boss doesn't mind and doesn't fire him. It's the first time he's putting his real name out in the open and he plans to keep using it. Which means not screwing up and having to abort the mission.

"We're a bit short on members for the investigative team," Woojin says, "HQ allocated you under my care, so you'll have to listen to me, alright? Everyone else here is your senior, regardless of age or Type, so be respectful."

Park Jihoon rounds the corner and immediately bursts into song. "You're welcome!" He sings, adding a little spin as he comes to a stop in front of Hyungseob, "Isn't it a beautiful day, to just stay out and play, with the police of our town?"

Woojin looks at Jihoon like he's grown another head. "Snap out of it," He says, slapping Jihoon on the forehead, "Stop acting silly."

Hyungseob chuckles nervously. "Er, Mr Park-"

"Woojin."

"-yes, Woojin, I'm so terribly sorry, it's my Type, I'm a DP-T, he can't help it." Hyungseob bows his head, feeling the pinpricks of tears gathering behind his eyes. "I didn't mean to make him behave that way." He sniffles for good effect and wipes his eyes with his sleeve, letting it droop over his hand for an extra touch of cuteness.

Woojin opens his mouth, and then closes it, as if thinking it better to not say anything. He pats Hyungseob on the back, and oblivious as he normally is, even he can feel the awkwardness radiating off that one simple movement. Woojin takes his leave and Hyungseob exhales, breathing easily.

“It’s okay,” Jihoon says, “He seems a little intimidating but he’s not that bad.” He hands Hyungseob a lanyard with his face and name on it. “It’s so people don’t think you’ve been arrested. It happens, so don’t forget this little tag or you might be thrown behind bars by accident.”

“Okay.” Hyungseob whispers, slipping the cord of the lanyard around his neck. Jihoon directs him to his small cubicle and Hyungseob settles into his chair and stares at the blank screen of his desktop. He watches the light reflect off it onto the messily scribbled mindmap on the whiteboard hanging desolately on the wall right outside the door to Woojin’s office. It stops at the word Baekho, written in bold and underlined many times, squiggly arrows extending to the other codenames written in a myriad of colours.

He traces the arrows to their destinations and counts out 7 members. 7 heads that bring up _Daybreak_ and keep it going strong. Hyungseob takes a few steps forward, mesmerised by the tangle of lines drawn in red marker in the centre, linking up the countless problems the mafia has caused for the city of Seoul.

He can only imagine how the whole thing seems like a mess to the police and the struggle they've got to go through to pick apart the mystery that surrounds  _Daybreak_ , and to figure out the secret of their success. 

Hyungseob picks up a marker and goes over the mindmap, correcting mistakes, erasing inaccuracies and scribbling down additional information that Jihoon gave him in the margins. He works on it for hours, drawing neat lines with a ruler that connect the names with the incidents. Kim Samuel, the only K-T in the station, whistles as he sees the half finished mindmap, now neater and more organised. 

"Wow, with you around, I think the  _Daybreak_ case is going to go a lot more smoothly." He marvels, looking at the half completed work with awe. 

"Oh, I don't think it possibly could," Hyungseob says shyly. 

It's a lazy Tuesday and Hyungseob can see Jihoon snoring away on top of his stack of reports, drooling a little on them. By this time of the week, he should have been introduced to everyone already, but the Seoul division is large and busy, with the only other V-T out gathering information on the mafia and their activities. Hyungseob shakes his head. It's a waste of time. He knows that  _Daybreak_ is excellent at covering their tracks. 

Hyungseob drums his fingers on the desk. It's been two days since he's started work at the Seoul station but with all the other cases and the overhang of the  _Daybreak_  case, there isn't much he's been given to do. Woojin barely stops by for anything, except to thank Hyungseob (albeit a little gruffly) for the organization of the mindmap once.

He doesn't mind working on the mindmap, and that's exactly what he told Woojin. Hyungseob's honestly here to help out with the  _Daybreak_ case to the best of his abilities, though with the way things are progressing in the office, it really does seem like he's not going to need to get much done anytime soon.

" _Remember, be careful and make yourself useful_ ," a voice echoes in his head, reminding him of just how risky his position is. As an intern, the police do not have any obligation to keep him on the team, and for his personal mission to succeed, he's got to remain on the team for as long as he can and continue to hold onto access rights to the information on  _Daybreak_. 

"Intern? Can you bring this guy to Seongwoo for interrogation? Thanks." Samuel tugs on the arm of the newest suspect in connection with the  _Daybreak_  case and Hyungseob raises an eyebrow at the boy once Samuel has disappeared around the corner. He recognises him as one of Peach's new trainees and the boy visibly gulps under Hyungseob's glare. 

"Come on," Hyungseob says saccharinely, "Let's get the secrets out of you, hmm?" He hands the boy over to Seongwoo in the interrogation room and delights in the scared look the boy sends his way. Seongwoo, the resident S-T, transforms his teeth to pointier ones and smiles at the boy, leaning forward in his seat.

"Ready to speak?" Seongwoo clacks his teeth together and Hyungseob takes that as his cue to leave. He heads to the breakroom next, fingers itching to do something. He's going to make a sandwich, that should occupy his mind for at least a while.

 

_**Sparrow** _

  
It’s only when Woojin knocks over his (empty) mug of coffee for the fifth time does he realise that he should probably take a break. He stumbles in a zombie-like state to the breakroom where he proceeds to make himself a coffee.

The office’s coffee is always too watery and never strong enough for Woojin to feel remotely awake, but suffices him on long nights trying to figure out the next move of the mafia and to move one step ahead.

He bumps into Hyungseob as he takes his leave, accidentally spilling some of the scalding coffee over the rim and onto his hand. He hisses sharply and sets his mug down, wiping the coffee onto his slacks. Hyungseob grabs his hand firmly and blows, as if trying to cool the skin down.

Woojin’s eyes widen at the forward action and he snatches his hand back, cradling it like one would with a newborn baby. Hyungseob looks up sheepishly. “Too much?”

“Definitely,” Woojin replies, picking up his mug again. He shakes his hand a few more times and frowns at the reddening skin. It’s going to hurt for at least a few days and he doesn’t have the time to go visit a H-T for help. He sips at his coffee distractedly, blanching when the taste hits his tastebuds. You’d think he’d have gotten used to the torture the taste of the office coffee inflicts upon his olfactory senses but he still coughs. “I hate this coffee,” he grumbles to himself, “Caramel macchiatos are way better.”

“Oh, I agree,” Hyungseob murmurs, causing Woojin to startle a little. He’d forgotten Hyungseob was still there. “My friend Minhyun works as a barista, you should go get some coffee there some time. His café is called _Kumiho_ , it’s nearby.” He plucks Woojin's coffee mug out of his grasp and sets it carefully in the sink. "We can go now, actually. If you don't mind." 

Woojin considers this. He’s not opposed to the idea of actually getting some quality coffee once in a while, but there’s still the very significant problem of the mafia and the growing stacks of reports he has to complete about their activities. "I would if I could, but I'm too busy." 

"Nonsense," Hyungseob beams, "You'll have time for a small coffee break. Come on, it's only 5 minutes away."

Woojin weighs the pros and cons of this situation. If he goes for this tiny coffee break (which his stomach and heart are screaming for him to), it would mean that he can spend more time to get to know the intern and analyse him, make sure that he's as harmless as he seems. It also means good coffee and some short time to unwind and stop puzzling over  _Daybreak_. He sighs wistfully. That sounds nice. 

On the other hand, he'll still have so many reports left to be completed on  _Daybreak_ , and he cannot move on to figuring out their next move if he doesn't finish the reports and then filing them away neatly for future reference. The responsibility of his role as team leader weighs heavily upon his shoulders and they slump in defeat. "I don't think I can, I have paperwork." 

"No worries," Hyungseob persists, "I'll help you with it. Say you used your foot to complete the rest of it, or something. Boss, I haven't seen you do anything but work all day." His eyes narrow in concentration, boring into Woojin's own two eyes and he suddenly feels very exposed under the intensity of Hyungseob's gaze. "Besides, you seem like the type of person to overwork yourself." 

"Alright then," Woojin relents, "Show the way." He earns many surprised looks from his subordinates as he walks past them to leave the building for coffee and it unsettles him how he cannot know for sure whether they're shocked at the close proximity between their very awkward team leader and the cheerful, bubbly new intern or the fact that Woojin is actually walking out of his office in broad daylight. He usually enters and leaves the Seoul Police Station when it's dark outside, at dawn or at dusk. 

Kind of pathetic, he knows, how his life is completely devoted to his work. 

"Come on," Hyungseob says, locking their hands together, "I'll bring you there." Woojin stares at their hands and wonders quietly why he's not trying to pull away from him. He's just met the guy, but yet, he feels comfortable around him and maybe a little attraction? He doesn't know, that could just be his stomach. He can see the gentle lights of  _Kumiho_ as they walk, and Hyungseob was right, it is close by. Hopefully, the coffee there will be good so he can frequent it. 

"Minhyun hyungie!" Hyungseob calls exuberantly as he steps into  _Kumiho_. His hands come up to cup around his mouth, amplifying his voice. The only customer in the café is a man with a shock of pink hair wearing a tanktop. The barista peers out from behind the man's wide shoulders and smiles at Hyungseob. 

"Hello, Hyungseob. Who's that with you?" The barista, whose nametag reads ' _Minhyun_ ', asks, setting down the cup he had previously been polishing. "Have you already made a new friend?" 

Hyungseob turns to Woojin. "He's actually my boss, but, are we friends?" Woojin gapes a bit, unsure of what to say. Is it too early to say that they're friends? He's known Hyungseob for a grand total of two- no, three- days, and all their conversations have been centred around  _Daybreak_. Still, Hyungseob's hopeful look of anticipation is enough for him to quash his doubts and nod. 

"Yeah, we're... friends," Woojin says lamely. Minhyun smiles wide at them and comes out from behind the counter, ushering them onto plush couches. 

"What would you like to drink? Hazelnut latte for you, Hyungseob, I know," he faces Woojin and smiles, addressing him directly, "A caramel macchiato for you?" 

Woojin blinks. "How did you...?" 

Hyungseob giggles, a soft airy sound that makes Woojin look at him, eyes shining. It's no wonder PC-Ts fall for him regularly with a laugh and personality like that. "Minhyun hyungie's a S-T. He's got soothsaying as one of his abilities."

"And that's why I'm so good at the service industry," Minhyun says with a note of finality, snapping his notebook shut. "Your drinks will be served soon." He walks back to the counter and shoos away the pink-haired man's hands that are reaching for the powdered chocolate and begins to whip up their drinks with an expert hand.

"Speaking of types," Hyungseob says, and Woojin can hear the hesitation in his voice, "You never told me yours. I mean, we're friends, so I feel like I should know this." 

"I'm a V-T," Woojin replies without a moment's delay. He's always been proud of his type and he never backs down when people ask him for it. He expects Hyungseob to retract his offer of friendship like countless others have done in the past, but he only sees adoration reflected back at him in those bright eyes. 

"That's cool, my Jonghyun hyungie, he's a V-T too. He's really good at taking care of us. I should introduce you to him someday," Hyungseob says thoughtfully, finger tapping his chin, "He might treat us to meat." When he isn't met with a disgusted glare and stinging words, Woojin breathes a sigh of relief, because Hyungseob isn't like other people he's met. Acceptance comes easy for him and it feels as if a great weight has just been lifted from Woojin's shoulders. He reclines into the soft pillows just as Minhyun walks over, carrying a caramel macchiato and a hazelnut latte. 

He sets them down before the two of them and walks off, winking at Hyungseob. Woojin raises an eyebrow but doesn't say anything. He picks up his caramel macchiato and takes an expectant sip. The rich flavour of caramel dances across his tongue and blends in with the earthy aroma of good coffee as it slides smoothly down his throat. He hums in approval and takes another sip of his drink. He's going to come back here more often. 

He looks up at Hyungseob through his lashes, watching him drink his hazelnut latte happily. He looks somewhat pretty under the sunlight streaming through the glass window, a small content smile playing upon his lips. They lapse into comfortable silence and Woojin tunes into the background noise, listening to a reporter drone on about business and the economy, when suddenly, her speech is cut short. His ears twitch at the mention of the word ' _Daybreak_ ', and he turns around in his seat to look at the screen. The logo of  _Daybreak_ flashes on the screen and a clip of a warehouse in Goyang going up in flames begins to play on loop. Woojin stands up abruptly and pulls on his coat. "Hyungseob, get up, we're leaving." 

"What happened?" Hyungseob asks, downing the rest of his hazelnut latte. Minhyun catches his sleeve and whispers something into his ear and he nods, turning to Woojin. "Is there something wrong?" 

"A warehouse in Goyang blew up,  _Daybreak_ 's apparently behind it. Officer Bae Jinyoung's there, we have to go there and bring him back." 

"Goyang, you say?" Minhyun's already whipping out his phone, keying in his passcode as he opens the messenger app. "I have a friend in that area, need me to ask him to keep a lookout for you?" 

"That would be greatly appreciated-" Woojin's words are cut off abruptly by the loud crash of glass hitting the floor, smashing to smithereens. There is a small trembling figure squatting by the open display case, crying uncontrollably to the point where he cannot form words. "Oh no."

"Daniel, go help Daehwi." Minhyun orders, already grabbing a broom and sweeping up the fragments of glass. He turns to Woojin as if to explain to him, "You see, Bae Jinyoung's his boyfriend. Please do hurry and bring him back." 

"We will," Woojin finds himself saying as he helps Hyungseob into his coat and ushers him out of  _Kumiho_ and into the sunlight, "You can count on us."


	2. we burned in white

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Good day to be out, isn’t it, Officer Park?” Sihyun says amiably, breaking into a pretty grin. His eyes settle on Hyungseob standing stiffly by the side and his grin widens further, bordering on sinister. “I’d like to speak to you in private.”

**_Tokki_ **

 

“ _Jaehwan hyung_ !” Hyungseob hisses into his phone as soon as he gets back to the police station, locking himself in the bathroom. “Jaehwan hyung, _what the hell_?”

“Okay,” comes Jaehwan’s tinny voice from his phone speakers, “What did I do again?”

“The warehouse? In Goyang?” Hyungseob lowers his voice, “The police are suspecting _Daybreak_ , Jaehwan hyung what-”

“First, that wasn’t me, I clear whatever I do with you first. Second, I got a tip that _Choon_ is acting up again,” Jaehwan says exasperatedly, “It’s definitely them. I’ve already asked Wartotle to do a little bit of checking up on it.”

“Okay, I’ll drop by your place later, tell me what’s going on then,” Hyungseob says, running a hand through his hair. “This is a mess-”

“Hyungseob!” Seongwoo’s voice filters through the door. “Woojin’s looking for you, you’re both supposed to be headed down to Goyang now!”

Hyungseob hurriedly covers the mouthpiece. “Alright!” He flushes the toilet and pulls open the door to see a red-faced Seongwoo who hurriedly pushes past him and slams the door in Hyungseob’s face in his haste to relieve himself.

He bumps into Jihoon on the way down.

“I wasn’t sure if you’ve had lunch,” Jihoon begins, holding out small bag with an innocent smile on his face, “So I packed you both sandwiches! I know it’s technically your job, Hyungseob, but it’s just this once.”

Hyungseob takes it gratefully. “Thanks, I’ll tell Woojin.” Jihoon beams and him and hurries off to continue interviewing witnesses from the Goyang Warehouse Explosion issue.

“What took you so long?” Woojin asks as soon as he sees Hyungseob, manhandling the poor boy into the police car. “Get in, quick.” They pull out of the police station and as they’re on their way, Woojin begins to list down all the things Hyungseob should look out for. “Look out for any evidence that points towards it being arson,” he explains, eyes locked firmly on the road, “It’s also your first time at a crime scene, so if you want to puke at the sight of dead bodies, do not do it over me.”

“I haven’t eaten much today,” Hyungseob looks at the bag sitting between them mournfully, “There’s nothing to hurl out anyway. Jihoon packed us snacks.”

Woojin stares at the bag sitting between them and snorts. Hyungseob has to pat his arm repeatedly to make him direct his attention back to driving. They continue on their way to Goyang, Woojin going just slightly below the speed limit, when Hyungseob gets a text.

“Minhyun hyungie says that they’ve found Jinyoung.” He squints at the screen of his phone as they pass through a tunnel. “He’s a little burnt but otherwise okay. He says he has something to tell you?” Woojin nods in acknowledgement and steps on the accelerator, zooming off to the warehouse as he makes a sharp turn. Hyungseob grips onto his seatbelt and prays fervently that they both will not die before they even reach the warehouse.

They’re immediately accosted by Jinyoung the moment they step into the police station in Goyang. The V-T isn’t badly burnt, with small patches of raw skin here and there, but there is a large gash on his left arm that’s been wrapped up with bandages. “I got into a fight,” Jinyoung explains, lifting his arm gingerly, “I went after the arsonist. I don’t think it’s _Daybreak_ who’s behind this, by the way.” Jinyoung actually laughs, pulling out an armband tucked away safely in his bulletproof vest, “ _Daybreak_ doesn’t usually leave traces, but _Choon_ does.”

Hyungseob makes a mental note to tell Jaehwan that. If _Choon_ ’s really acting up, they need to find out why before anything even more drastic happens.

“Hyungseob, go put that in a bag, it’s important evidence.” Woojin instructs and Hyungseob nods, slipping on gloves and taking the armband from Jinyoung. “Also, send news back to Daehwi that we found Jinyoung. And thank your Minhyun hyung for me.”

Hyungseob salutes him playfully and goes to work, whipping out his phone to call Minhyun while pottering about, gathering evidence and copies of reports that they’ll eventually need to bring back to the Seoul station to file away with all the mafia records.

He gives the armband a once-over and has to restrain himself from crumpling the entire thing in his fist in anger. He recognises this. _Choon_ has the (rather stupid, if you ask him) tradition to give their lackeys subtly personalised armbands - the tiny embroidery invisible to the untrained eye- and this particular one belongs to someone who used to be a part of _Daybreak_.

Kim Sihyun.

  


 

**_Sparrow_ **

 

“So who’s he? You don’t usually let people tag along on trips to other divisions.” Jinyoung points out, drinking milk straight out of the carton. Woojin regards him with poorly concealed disgust. “What? It’s almost empty and I’m sure the other people here wouldn’t appreciate me dirtying their mugs.”

“He’s the new intern,” Woojin says by way of explanation, purposely skirting around the topic of the milk, “Came in about 2 days ago?”

“He’s going to be a useful addition to the team,” Jinyoung says amusedly, staring at Hyungseob tell off a cat that knocked over a glass of coffee, “DP-Ts can speak to animals. There are probably animal witnesses near a crime scene that can tell you a few things that may turn out important.”

Woojin pauses. He’s never thought of that. Investigations will surely go a lot smoother now that Hyungseob’s around. He takes a sip of the office coffee and nearly spits it out. It’s even worse than that back at the Seoul division, and he can’t even bring himself to take another sip, especially after he’s tasted heaven in the form of Minhyun’s caramel macchiato.

He continues to stare unabashedly at Hyungseob, now playing with the cat and tickling its belly. He can’t seem to figure him out. Normally, people like to distance themselves from him, never mind his type, he’s just a naturally awkward person and, not to mention, probably their _boss_. But that doesn’t stop Hyungseob, who has done nothing but leave encouraging notes in neat penmanship on top of his laptop and even treated him to his favourite beverage.

It’s a little strange and Woojin just wants to know _why_.

“Woojin! You numbskull, stop staring at Hyungseob for a minute! We have to leave now, I think the people here are getting angry at us for mooching off their coffee.” Jinyoung’s unimpressed voice breaks his stupor and he turns to raise an eyebrow at Jinyoung.

“I wasn’t staring,” he reasons lamely, not even knowing why he’s denying the obvious, “I was observing. There’s a difference.”

“Yeah,” Jinyoung sniggers, “Probably observing how pretty Hyungseob’s hands are, or how soft his hair is-”

“How soft whose hair is?” Hyungseob asks, holding the cat in his arms. “Do we have to leave yet?”

“It’s - uh, nothing!” Woojin scrambles for an answer, “We were just going to call you to leave with us. Let’s go.” He tosses the car keys to Jinyoung and delights in the way he fumbles with them, eventually dropping them and having to bend down to pick them up. “You drive,” he calls over his shoulder, “I need a nap.”

“Hyungseob, can you drive?” He hears Jinyoung ask as he reclines into the backseat. He doesn’t hear Hyungseob’s reply, but judging by the itchy feel of bandages against his skin and a bucket hat tossed haphazardly on his face, Hyungseob has taken the wheel. Surprisingly, they make it back without getting lost at all, Hyungseob having astonishingly good memory for someone’s who’s only just been driven to the Goyang warehouse once.

 

(“I’m naturally observant,” Hyungseob explains later when Woojin catches him alone, “And I pick up things easily. Kind of like a PC-T but not.”)  


“Woojin!” Jihoon comes running up to them and before he can thank him for the sandwiches, Jihoon breaks into a grin. “A Lee Daehwi is here, looking for Bae Jinyoung?”

Hyungseob locks the car door and walks up to Woojin, slinging an arm over his shoulder. “His boyfriend,” Hyungseob tells Jihoon and Woojin can feel his warm breath tickling the back of his neck and he involuntarily shudders.

Jinyoung has already disappeared inside the station, probably in search of his boyfriend. “Daehwi brought some cupcakes with him,” Jihoon informs them as they walk into the station. “They’re really pretty. One has a bunny on it, I think it’s supposed to be for Hyungseob.”

“Thanks for the sandwiches,” Woojin remembers and thanks Jihoon offhandedly, “They were good.”

 

  


**_Tokki_ **

 

About a month passes by uneventfully and even Woojin complains about _Daybreak_ ’s lack of activity. “It’s unsettling,” Woojin tells him as they get more coffee at _Kumiho_ , now having upgraded to regulars, “Like the lull before the storm.”

But when Jihoon cheerfully informed them that there was someone waiting for them upon their return, Hyungseob never expected _Kim Sihyun_ of all people to be seated in the police station, calmly sipping a cup of water, armband noticably missing from his bicep.

“Good day to be out, isn’t it, Officer Park?” Sihyun says amiably, breaking into a pretty grin. His eyes settle on Hyungseob standing stiffly by the side and his grin widens further, bordering on sinister. “I’d like to speak to you in private.”

“With him?” Jihoon shakes his head. “No can do, Mister Sihyun. Woojin’s our boss and you’re not getting alone time with him.”

“Then, no information about _Daybreak_ ,” Sihyun says cheerfully, nothing friendly in that razor-sharp smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “It’s not everyday you have the second-hand man of _Choon_ knocking at your door and willingly presenting you with a piece of information so important, that -well I daresay- can bring _Daybreak_ down.”

Hyungseob clenches his fist quietly and relaxes it, hoping no one saw it. He’ll pass it off as anger towards Sihyun’s cocky attitude instead of something else. The right-hand man of _Choon_ , every bit as influential as the head of the gang himself. Every bit as despicable as well.

And to think once upon a time, they’d been friends and Hyungseob had trusted him. Until he went and turned his back on him, opting to step over him and use Hyungseob to his advantage, not stopping till he reached his goal: the top.

 _Daybreak_ ’s had a hard time changing the way they function so that Sihyun cannot totally sell them out to rival gangs, but he already knows too much. They’re still at potential risk until he is eliminated from the picture, but he’d never acted up before and they’d never bothered to send the Chicks after him, but now is a totally different story.

Hyungseob has been here for a grand total of two days, but he already knows that the entire office is silently contemplating the proposal, no matter how risky it can be. They’ve been working overtime, spending longer shifts in their small cubicles trying to put a stop to _Daybreak_ , but to no avail and Hyungseob can sympathises with their troubles.

Jihoon leans in to whisper in Hyungseob’s ear. “Woojin’s going to accept, but we’re all going to watch. They’ll talk in the interrogation room.”

“Let’s talk in the interrogation room, shall we?” Woojin offers politely, “It’s soundproof and private.”

Sihyun taps a finger against his cheek and the entire office waits with bated breath. Except Hyungseob, who scoffs to himself and rolls his eyes. Typical Sihyun, always loving to keep people in suspense for his next move. It’s probably for the attention. “Hm, okay.”

They make their way there first, Sihyun holding onto Woojin’s arm so tightly that Hyungseob can see the creases his fingers are leaving in Woojin’s neatly pressed shirt. His jaw tightens and Jinyoung rests an arm on his shoulders.

“Easy there, bunny,” Jinyoung laughs, “You don’t have to be worried. Woojin can take care of himself.”

Hyungseob disregards the new nickname Jinyoung has just given to him and recalls their trip to Goyang, where Woojin had taken off running and screaming at the top of his lungs at the sight of a small, dainty damselfly in Hyungseob’s favourite shade of aquamarine. “... yeah. Right. He can take care of himself.”

 

 

**_Sparrow_ **

 

Woojin reminds himself to be careful for the umpteenth time since meeting Sihyun and he purposely drags his chair all the way in to assume a casual position. He schools his face into a neutral position and raises his eyebrows. “Well? You have 15 minutes to tell me what you need before my team members come in.”

“Patience,” Sihyun giggles, hand reaching up to pat at the empty space. “First, how did you like my little gift?”

“Gift?” Woojin’s voice comes out confused before he can control himself. He clears his throat and nods. “Continue, please.”

“Oh, the warehouse in Goyang? Do you not remember?” Sihyun shakes his head. “Sad. I actually blamed it on _Daybreak_ in the beginning, then it stopped being fun.”

“What’s your point?” Woojin folds his arms and leans forward. “Why are you doing this?”

Sihyun stands. “In case you haven’t noticed, I have the same agenda as you. To bring down _Daybreak_.” His eyes glaze over slightly before they’re back to their cold steeliness. “There’s someone who I have to settle a score with, and I thought the best way to bring him down is to bring down the one thing he’s invested the most in.”

“So, you’re trying to bring down Baekho?” Woojin asks. “Is that it?”

“Heavens no,” Sihyun frowns and drops his hands on Woojin’s shoulders, smoothing out his collar. “Not Baekho, that man is innocent.” He walks back to his side of the table and plops down in the chair. “Well, as innocent as someone from the mafia can be.” He adjusts his bangs and smiles. Woojin unconsciously puts his guard up. “What have you got so far on _Daybreak_?"

Woojin clams up. “That’s classified information, I cannot say.”

“Ah but,” Sihyun’s smile drops into a leer, “You think anything you have is a step ahead of me? Please, I was from _Daybreak_ itself. I know it like the back of my hand. I just want to know what you’re missing out. To make this session… worth your time.”

Woojin contemplates this. There is a possibility that Sihyun could be lying, but judging from his body language and his motives, he doesn’t need to lie. “Alright,” Woojin says cautiously, “We know that _Daybreak_ has 7 core members-”

Sihyun tuts. “-8. Not 7, _8_.”

“8?” Woojin furrows his eyebrows in confusion, “That’s not possible. There’s been no evidence about him at all.”

“That’s because they didn’t want you to find any.” Sihyun traces the outline of a rabbit on the mahogany table bitterly. “His name,” he rips out a knife and stabs it into the centre of the table, “is Tokki.”

A bell goes off.

15 minutes is up. Sihyun smiles victoriously. “Is there anything else you can tell me about him?” Woojin asks slowly, interest piqued.

Sihyun keeps his lips sealed, shaking his head gleefully. “Too late Officer Park, 15 minutes are up.” He throws his head back and laughs as he's escorted out. "You're not getting anything else out of me." 

Woojin's head thunks on the table with a resounding thud and no one has the resolve to go and reprimand him when he groans loud enough for the people on the second floor to hear them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have zero self control


	3. cut out all the ropes and let me fall

**_Baekho_ **

 

It’s on one of these rare days, does Dongho actually appreciate not having to work in the yoghurt shop. He likes his part-time job, it’s fun and he likes decorating the yoghurts and watching them turn from plain to pretty under his careful hands.

But, sometimes, things happen that he cannot control and it makes him a little upset. So here he is, lounging at on the couch and sulking to himself.

The door bursts open with a bang and Minki flounces in like he owns the place, balancing two cardboard boxes in his arms as he kicks the door shut. Well, to be fair, this is Minki’s house and it is Minki’s chocolate ice cream he’s mooching off.

If Minki notices something strange with the 5 empty tubs of ice cream and frozen yoghurts stacked on the table and Dongho’s uniform flung carelessly on top of the television as he stares blankly into space, he opts not to say anything.

“The wigs came in today,” Minki tells him excitedly instead, “Our disguises are finally going to be top-notch and foolproof!” Dongho cheers with him half-heartedly, absent-mindedly patting his head with a sticky hand covered in chocolate. “What happened?” Minki asks, finally deciding to address his sullen silence.

“I should just become a full-time mafia member, right?” Dongho replies dejectedly, shoveling another spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.

Minki delicately wipes the melted ice cream from where it dripped onto Dongho’s pristine white shirt (well, what used to be a pristine, white shirt.) “Did you make a five-year-old cry again?”

“I didn’t do anything this time!” Dongho protests, slamming his spoon onto the armrest. “My tattoos were actually covered up with sports tape and bandanas this time!” He pauses, another spoonful of ice cream just brushing against his lips. “On second thought, it might have been the piercings.”

Minki just laughs and reaches up to flick at Dongho’s earlobe piercing. “I like your piercings,” he hums. Dongho’s finger goes up to fiddle at the piercing when Minki retracts his hand. It’s the first one he’d ever gotten, back when he was a small, frail, 15-year-old boy. Even back then, Minki was the one full of youthful vigour and spunk whereas he preferred to play with teacups and lacy doilies.

Minki convinced him to get a piercing, and so he did, right after his final examinations for that year. He remembers sitting in an uncomfortable leather chair that chafed his legs and gripping onto Minki’s hand tightly, lips pressed together and eyes squeezed shut in a mixture of determination and fear as the alcohol rub numbed his earlobe.

It hurt, but not as much as his parents and the other neighbourhood children distancing themselves from him because of his Type and naturally threatening looks.

The first act of defiance of getting a piercing, the exhilarating feeling of watching his parents’ jaws drop in shock at the sight of a glinting metal hoop in his right earlobe only spurred him onwards to become the man he is today.

“You could always take them off if they become a problem,” Minki suggests as he returns from the kitchen, holding a tub of strawberry-flavoured frozen yoghurt which Dongho accepts gratefully, “If the bossman keeps sending you home because you scare children.”

“They’re my confidence,” Dongho reasons, “Without them I’d feel naked.” Dongho rips open the cover of the frozen yoghurt. “Besides, we did recruit the Chicks through them.”

Minki laughs at the memory of Dongho stumbling back to the headquarters with a 15-year-old attached to his leg and a 16-year-old trailing behind him. “Oh yes, Seonho was always too forward for his own good.”

_(Seonho had strode right up to Dongho and complimented his piercings, asking innocently if he was part of the mafia. Dongho didn’t know whether to lie or tell the truth, but decided that it wouldn’t hurt because no one has ever believed C-Ts too much due to their naivety and went for it._

_“Oh yes,” he whispered conspiratorially, leaning forward across the counter, “But you can’t tell anyone, yeah?”_

_Seonho nodded rapidly, eyes growing wider. “Mister, can I tell you something?” He beckoned at  Dongho to lean in closer, “I’m a hitman,” He hisses, eyes darting all over the place, “With my friend Guanlin. Could you ask your boss if you need us? We’re in a bit of a tight spot right now. All we need is food and shelter.”_

_Dongho laughed, eyes twinkling. “Sure, sure,” he says jokingly, “Meet me at_ Kumiho _tonight, past closing hours, with your friend and then we’ll talk.”_

 _He was not expecting Minhyun to send him an SOS text in the dead of night about a lanky boy with sparkly eyes clinging onto him for dear life asking to join_ Daybreak _and that the ‘guy-with-piercings-from-the-yoghurt-shop’ had promised him and his friend a job, lodging and food._

 _He’d called Hyungseob immediately and the both of them went over to_ Kumiho _immediately and Seonho immediately detached himself from Minhyun._

_“Hello, remember me?” He said, waving his arms. “This is Guanlin!” He gesticulated wildly to his companion, who blinked and bowed. “I’m Seonho! Can I join your gang?” He reached over and immediately enveloped Hyungseob in a hug. “I’m a really good assassin, I promise!”_

“ _Hi there,” Hyungseob said amiably, rubbing his cheek against Seonho’s, “I believe you. Dongho hyung, can he join us?”_

 _Dongho’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. Why did the decision-making have to fall to him? “Uh, I-I sure.” He stammered, “Welcome to_ Daybreak. _”_

_Seonho cheered and wrapped them all in a big group hug. “Did you hear that Guanlin? We’ve got a home!” He spins his friend around and a small smile grows on his quiet friend’s lips. “The Chicks have found their nest!”_

_“Wow, Dongho,” Minhyun whispered, “I did see the Chicks - the second best hitmen in the business- in the register of core members under the police file in their not-so-secret cabinet but I wasn’t expecting them to be so young.”_

_Hyungseob snorted. “Nor that you would bring them in, Dongho hyung. No offense there.”_

_“None taken,” Dongho replied, still confused about the situation. He’s going to need some yoghurt. )_

  


**_Emperor_ **

 

Minhyun dismounts the motorcycle, pulling the helmet off his head. He carefully arranges his bangs and thinks of what Jonghyun would say if he were there. Probably laugh at him. As if on cue, he receives a call from Jonghyun.

“Where are you?” Is the first thing Jonghyun says when he answers the phone, “You weren’t at _Kumiho_ when I dropped by. Seonho was raiding the pastries from the kitchen and Daehwi wasn’t entirely happy about it.”

“I’ve got some business to settle,” Minhyun replies smoothly, setting the helmet down on his motorcycle. “You’ll probably see me popping up on one of your security camera feeds soon.”

“I know where you are, Minhyun,” Jonghyun huffs out, and Minhyun can almost see him exasperatedly shaking his head on the other end of the line. “Just don’t do anything rash. At least not until we get an official order.”

“I’m an S-T, Jonghyun, with soothsaying abilities,” Minhyun tells him, “I think I can decide what’s safe and what’s not.”

“Be careful is all I’m saying.” Jonghyun warns, “Hyungseob wants us to meet at HQ today, not _Kumiho_ for a change.”

“Affirmative. I’ve got to go now, though, love you.”

“Love you too.” The line cuts and Minhyun pockets his phone, slipping on his black gloves. He begins to walk straight ahead, through the rotating doors and punches in a code that Jonghyun already confirmed that would work on any electronic lock. He trusts Jonghyun.

The electronic lock beeps once, twice, and the light goes green.

Someone finally notices that he isn’t part of _Choon_ when he moves to stand in front of the elevator and he ducks, ignoring the punch that sailed right over his head. He grips the arm of the wild-haired girl whose hand is still frozen where it hit the wall (it’s a little softer than a normal mafia member’s should be, so she’s probably a newer guard).

It doesn’t take him long to deal with the guards at the elevator and he stares straight into the CCTV as he crosses into Choon’s headquarters, calmly rotating his wrists and stepping over the knocked out bodies of the guards. It will serve as a warning of Daybreak’s strength, that they are not to be messed with. A scene flashes before his eyes. _A knife, clean, glinting under harsh light. Sihyun’s beaten up face. The blur of sky and grass and the tickle of grass under his palms._

He smirks and waits as the elevator takes him to level 3. The doors slide open and he steps out, feet barely making any sound as he waltzes straight into Sihyun’s office.

“Welcome,” Sihyun remarks, swinging his legs off his desk and standing up to greet Minhyun. “I haven’t seen you in a while, _Emperor_.”

“Why would you do it?” Minhyun seethes, “Try to sell us out to the police? I don’t know exactly what you did but I know it must be bad. We spared your life that day, when you first betrayed us and this is how you pay us back-”

“Never trust a smiling cat,” Sihyun tsks, “You should have known better. You know damn well why I need to bring you down.”

Minhyun doesn’t reply and Sihyun smiles victoriously. Until Minhyun stalks over and punches the smile clean off his face. Enraged, Sihyun unsheathes his dagger and aims it at Minhyun’s shoulder, but Minhyun dodges him deftly and delivers a powerful kick to his stomach. Sihyun grunts in pain and falls to the ground.

“How are you the second-hand man of _Choon_ when you’re weaker than _Daybreak_ ’s newest recruit?” Minhyun asks tauntingly as he hauls Sihyun forcefully to his feet and dusts his suit off. “You were always the worst at fighting. You want to bring us down? I don’t think so.” He pulls his arm back and delivers a final punch to Sihyun’s face that causes his eye to swell.

Sihyun winces and backs into his desk as Minhyun leans down. “Your demise was decided the minute you turned your back on us,” Minhyun threatens, “Now, if you try to pull a stunt like this again I promise you, I won’t go so easy on you. None of us will.” Sihyun pulls his arm up and hits a button on the underside of the desk that Minhyun hadn’t seen but knew was there anyway.

Approaching footsteps pound on the floor of the hallway leading to Sihyun’s office like a thundering herd of elephants and Minhyun laughs. “Reinforcements? Really? You should know by now that I can take them all on without getting a scratch on me. I could still kill you.”

Sihyun spits out a bloody wad of saliva. “And you should know that my style isn’t waiting around for people to kill me.” He grits out, pushing Minhyun off him. By the time the first guard is bursting through the doors, Sihyun is out cold, Minhyun having bashed his head hard enough on his desk to give him a concussion.

Minhyun is long gone, tumbling out through the open window. It’s a long fall, but there’s a reason why Daniel always makes them practice jumping off of great heights at the training centre. He tucks his head into his knees and rolls, the padding in his clothes (that Minki has already sewn onto all of _Daybreak_ ’s clothes) absorbing most of the shock and allowing him to roll harmlessly on the ground.

The grass is ticklish under his palms as he pushes himself to his feet, climbs onto his motorcycle and speeds away, the guards of _Choon_ a few heartbeats too late to chase after Minhyun as he disappears down a convoluted mess of alleyways, successfully throwing them off his trail.

He hops off the motorcycle and dumps it in a random alleyway, after all, the motorcycle was never his. He’d just found it somewhere on his way there and thought it would be a convenient mode of transport. It makes him untrackable and he likes being a step ahead of others.

He walks the remaining blocks to _Kumiho_ , being careful to stow the bloodied gloves in a scarf that he’ll burn later so that there won’t be a trace left. Minhyun also doesn’t want Daehwi to see them and get suspicious, the boy is, after all, dating a police officer.

Speaking of the devil, he finds a small party of police officers gathered in _Kumiho_ , peacefully gazing at the decor.

“This place is sick!” One of them exclaims, “No wonder Woojin hyung likes to come here!”

Another snickers and nudges Woojin with his elbow. “Nah, Samuel, I like to think it’s because Hyungseob always drags him everywhere and they probably chanced upon this place together.”

Woojin lets out the sound of a dying whale. “Hey, the caramel macchiatos here are a culinary masterpiece, and I happen to need one because of the new information we have.”

Minhyun decides that it’s probably time to save the boy from further embarrassment from his colleagues and speaks up. “Glad to know you think so highly of my caramel macchiatos.” He scans the people and their orders come to him in a rush of thoughts. “I’ll get all your drinks shortly,” he pauses and addresses Jinyoung directly, “Except you, Daehwi will bring yours over.”

Jinyoung flashes him a toothy smile and a thumbs up.

As he prepares the drinks, he discreetly tunes in to their conversation, quietly dialling Jonghyun through his earpiece and letting him listen in on the conversation too.

“Who was that guy anyway?” Jinyoung asks, a little too loudly for his own good.

“Someone from a rival gang,” Samuel says, “He was here to give us information but who knows if it’s reliable. I know for one the source isn’t.”

“It was the second-hand man of _Choon_ ,” Woojin says, “Kim Sihyun. Quite rude actually. Left a hole in our interrogation desk, and quite a big one too.”

“Did he actually have anything important to say?” A tall man asks, leaning in. “Most of the time people who come in on their own accord do have new information, but this is the mafia. We can’t exactly trust that what they’re giving us is of help. What if they’re throwing us off on purpose?”

“No way,” Samuel shakes his head. “Have you not been reading the case files? _Daybreak_ and _Choon_ have been arch enemies stretching back years. They’re always at each other's throats. They only have one thing in common and that is disdain for the police.”

Minhyun can’t help but agree. Pesky police and their ability to meddle in everything he does. At least his visions give him a tip off. He brings over a plate of blueberry cheesecake for the tall man, two iced Americanos and one caramel macchiato. Daehwi brings out a latte with an intricate tree decorating the foam as well as a strawberry scone.

Jinyoung takes the food from Daehwi and gives him a chaste kiss, rubbing their foreheads together. Minhyun sets the food down in front of them just in time to hear Woojin say: “He told me about Tokki. Another core member of _Daybreak_.”

Oh no. The damage that Sihyun has wrecked is worse than he thought. Their secret is out.

“I’ll tell Hyungseob,” Jonghyun says suddenly, previous silence broken. “I’m already dialling him, so I’ll cut off this line.” Minhyun jumps in surprise, he’d forgotten Jonghyun was on the line and then he taps his earpiece twice. He digs out his phone from his pocket, feigning surprise at a text message that isn’t even there.

“Daehwi,” he calls, “I’m going to have to go pick Daniel up. He’s whining over text that he doesn’t want to walk all the way here. Can you handle it here yourself?”

Daehwi nods. “Affirmative, Minhyun hyungie! Need me to call Seonho here to help out? In case I’m busy.”

Minhyun pulls a face. “Better not. He’d eat everything in sight.” He bows in apology to the group of policemen at the table he’s serving and politely tells them to enjoy their coffee, winking at Woojin who’s just about to take a sip of his caramel macchiato. He enjoys in the tiny glimpse of surprise he sees on Woojin’s face at the delicate rabbit drawn in caramel.

Now, to go and fetch Daniel from his training centre and let him know that Tokki is known to the world and to conceal everything else about him before it’s too late.

  


**_Sparrow_ **

 

“Ugh,” Woojin groans after Minhyun has left. “Why me?”

“That’s a cute rabbit,” Seongwoo observes, “Looks like we’re not the only ones trying to hint that you should make a move on Hyungseob.”

“No one’s making any moves on Hyungseob. I don’t like him like that.” Woojin snarks, stirring his caramel macchiato with a little more force than needed. He brings it to his lips and takes a sip, the familiar taste of his favourite beverage soothing his nerves and calming him down.

“This Americano is to die for,” Jihoon gushes, “Why didn’t you bring us here earlier?”

“I didn’t know about this place until Hyungseob brought me,” Woojin replies, not exactly thinking, “We had coffee together.”

“So, you really come here because of him?” Samuel leans over excitedly. “Because of your first date with the intern?”

“No- why is everyone so hellbent on me dating Hyungseob? It’s almost as if there isn’t anyone else in the world that I could date.” Woojin throws his hands in the air. “Hell, I don’t even have time to think about dating! _Daybreak_ ’s the only thing I can think of right now.”

The doorbell jingles and someone new steps in, carrying the light, sweet smell of flowers with him as he looks around for someone. Woojin’s nose twitches. “Hello,” the newcomer says peacefully as he sees Daehwi, “Is Minhyun around?”

“He just left to fetch Daniel,” Daehwi replies from his perch on Jinyoung’s lap, “He should be back soon, want to sit down and wait?”

“May I?” The male sighs, “Jaehwan hyung’s being annoying again. He will not stop singing EDM to my flowers and I don’t think they particularly appreciate the random noises he keeps making. They haven’t been growing well since he stepped in this morning.”

 

It is then that he seems to notice the other people in the shop. “Why, hello. I’m the owner of the flower shop down the road.” He sticks out his hand and smiles. Woojin shakes it firmly, not failing to notice the calluses on his fingers.

“Do you play the guitar?” He asks, trying to strike up a conversation. “I have a friend who does.”

“Oh yes, I do,” Sewoon claps, “The roses enjoy it particularly much. I write songs too.”

“Donghyun hyung plays the guitar, sometimes he’ll come into the station and play us a composition of his. It’s quite delightful.” Jihoon pipes up. “I’m Park Jihoon, C-T.”

“Jung Sewoon. H-T,” he introduces. He turns to Woojin. “Are you Park Woojin? V-T?”

Woojin swallows. “Yeah,” he says cautiously, “How did you know?”

“Hyungseob thinks he’s quiet and that I can’t hear him when he’s talking to my hydrangeas but I do,” Sewoon smiles, “It’s endearing how much he can talk about you. He thinks your snaggletooth is cute.”

“Sewoon hyung!” Hyungseob gasps, choosing this timely moment to enter _Kumiho._ “What are you telling my boss? Good things, I hope?”

Sewoon swivels in his seat to stare at Hyungseob. “Nothing you haven’t been telling my hydrangeas. Unless you’ve been cursing in front of them like Jaehwan hyung does to my peonies.”

“I would never.” Hyungseob pulls out the chair next to Woojin and does not notice him staring staring awkwardly at him as he sits down slowly. Samuel snickers behind his palm and whispers something to Jihoon, who giggles back. Sometimes, Woojin thinks, for police officers, they sure can be immature. “Sorry I couldn’t make it to work today,” he tells the group of police officers, “My friend needed my help. He’s in a bit of a situation.”

“Did Guanlin have a panic attack again?” Sewoon asks and Hyungseob nods. “Poor boy, I wish I could make his flashbacks and trauma go away but there’s only so much my weak H-T powers can do.”

“What happened to him?” Jihoon asks, eyes widening cutely. Sewoon leans forward to ruffle his hair playfully despite having known him for a total of 10 minutes.

“He’s a C-T, like you, but younger and more vulnerable.” Sewoon sighs, thinking about the memories he’d seen and the fear he’d felt radiating from the young boy of 16. “When he was much younger, he was taken from his parents and sold as an exotic slave from Taiwan. He managed to manipulate his owners and run away from them, but as a result of what he went through, he has very bad panic attacks and has almost lost his ability to manipulate people.”

“When he can, however, it’s very strong.” Hyungseob says, eyes sparkling with interest. “No one’s immune to it. But it comes as random spikes of energy especially during panic attacks so it gets a little hard to leave him on his own. Again, so sorry for being unable to come into work today. He’s actually calmed down for now.”

“What set it off?” Seongwoo asks, leaning back into his chair.

Hyungseob fiddles with his fingers. “He saw something on the news about a kidnapping. It brought unpleasant memories to the surface.” He looks too guilty for someone who hasn’t done anything to directly cause a panic attack so Woojin awkwardly pats him on the shoulder lightly.

“It’s not your fault,” he says eventually, clearing his throat. Hyungseob grins at him gratefully and Woojin tries to ignore the fluttering of his stomach and washes the butterflies away by downing the rest of his caramel macchiato.

Samuel begins to snigger behind his palm again and Woojin chucks a wet tissue at his face which Sewoon catches deftly. He folds it and places it back neatly on the table just as Minhyun walks into the shop with the same pink-haired man that’s been there every time Woojin drops by.

“Hi Daniel hyung!” Hyungseob greets as he rises to his feet, “What brings you here?”

“Me, apparently,” Minhyun snorts, “He was too lazy to walk.”

“I’m not lazy,” Daniel whines, “My legs are just tired from dancing, okay? I had to demonstrate  that move so many times because the kids couldn’t get it right. My stamina is usually better than this, but I’m just drained today.”

Woojin notices Minhyun struggling to tie his apron around his waist and politely moves to help. It’s the least he can do for someone who’s provided him with his daily sustenance. “Thanks Woojin,” Minhyun tells him tiredly, jabbing a finger towards Daniel, “You’re a much greater help than Daniel is. Hyungseob’s lucky to have you.” His fingers still as they tie the tight knot in Minhyun’s apron and he gapes.

“What? Hyungseob- what?”

“What about me?” Hyungseob bumps his hip into Woojin’s causally and Jihoon raises an eyebrow at the lack of response from their usually collected leader. “Lucky to have who?”

“Woojin,” Minhyun replies, “You’re lucky to have Woojin.”

“Oh,” Hyungseob throws a dazzling smile at Woojin and he tries valiantly not to be swayed by the sheer beauty of it. “I am, aren’t I?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again, I have zero self-control but this was mainly to destress?? while travelling lol (travelling times are long so i have time to blurb these out)


	4. commandments of religion, providence of the universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He was our friend," Jonghyun pipes in quietly, "We agreed that sparing his life was to be our last favour to him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!! i'm so so sorry for not updating sooner and that it's shorter than normal, not writing for a while actually gave me writer's block and i really couldn't write a word because i felt it wasn't up to standards and i felt awful,, but i feel a whole lot better and i think i'll be able to start writing again!!

_**Wartotle:** _

It's late at night when Jonghyun hears the front door click shut. It’s a soft sound, barely there, but Jonghyun’s ears are trained to pick up the slightest sounds so he knows if the safe house is ever compromised or if someone is going to sneak up on him.

“Jonghyun hyung,” Hyungseob asks, walking in and slinging his police jacket over one of the chairs at Jonghyun’s work table. “How’s the project coming along? Any progress?”

Jonghyun taps a few keys. “A little, I’m still in the process of trying to hack into the police database. For a police force that is so easily infiltrated, their database has pretty strong firewalls. It shouldn't take more than 12 hours for me to get in. It's to see what sort of extra intel they have on us that we don't know about and if they have a source.”

Hyungseob hums. “Right, then we’d have to eliminate the source.”

Minhyun walks into the room and silently closes the door. "You know about Sihyun spilling about your identity to the police, right, Hyungseob?" 

"Unfortunately," Hyungseob sighs, "He's such a bother. Remind me why we didn't get rid of him back then?" 

"He was our friend," Jonghyun pipes in quietly, "We agreed that sparing his life was to be our last favour to him." He isn't entirely too sure why his heart hurts whenever Sihyun is mentioned, but he chalks it down to the pain of losing a friend and having him turn against everything they've worked for together to reach for something better, alone.

The distant but clear memory of Sihyun trying to recruit him to join  _Choon_ a long time ago springs to mind, unbidden, and he shudders. 

 _"Think of all the riches we could have together, Jonghyun hyung!"_ The memory of Sihyun's voice resounds in his head.  _"If you'd just join me, we would be powerful! You're the best at technology in the whole of South Korea- heck, even the world!_ _"_

Only one thing ( _person_ ) came to his mind. Minhyun's smiling face filled his thoughts and he recalled both of them, at age 5, making a pact to stay together forever. He wasn't sure if Minhyun remembered it, but he wasn't going to be the one to break it. Money, riches, power; all mean nothing to him compared to his longest friend Hwang Minhyun. 

 _"No,"_ He told Sihyun,  _"I'm not leaving_ Daybreak. _I know where my loyalties lie, and it lies with the organisation I poured my blood, sweat, and tears into building up. I'm not leaving it for money or power. I'm happy where I am."_ Sihyun'seyes had hardened with hate right then, and he'd left without a word. Jonghyun woke up the next day to the death of one of the newer recruits and a black dahlia lying atop the corpse. _Choon_ sent a message not long after declaring war between the two mafias. 

Even so, Jonghyun doesn't regret his decision, even it meant losing a friend and gaining an enemy. 

"It was," Hyungseob agrees, "Although I really do wish we hadn't granted it to him right now." He tsks in annoyance. "He can't hold his tongue." 

"What are you going to do now? We obviously weren't counting on this happening," Minhyun says, "He must have had an S-T down at  _Choon_ to cover up his tracks for him so I couldn't see what he was going to do."

"I think," Jonghyun says after a pause, "That Hyungseob should now give a little bit of useful input. Not anything too big, but something slightly obvious and accurate so they'll believe him and this will come in handy later on and we can use Hyungseob to throw them off track." 

"Good idea, Jonghyun hyung," Hyungseob says with a smile. "I'll contribute a little in the discussion tomorrow. Meanwhile, can you also send someone to track Sihyun's activities? We don't want to give him the opportunity to disclose anything else. And, also, send Aron hyung to cover up Minhyun hyung's direct attack on Sihyun, we cannot let the police find out and try to link it to _Daybreak_ or  _Tokki_." 

Jonghyun nods, swivelling around and reaching for the phone to call the Tracker Department as well as Aron to send them on their respective jobs. Minhyun's hand rests on his shoulder, comforting and familiar, and it gives him the encouragement he needs to carry on. He's decided long ago to sacrifice his all for  _Daybreak_ , for Minhyun. "Be careful," he murmurs to Minhyun once Hyungseob is gone, "You're in a dangerous position.  _Choon_ knows your face now." 

Minhyun snorts. " _Choon_ has already known my face since Day 1. Again, Sihyun cannot keep his lips sealed. I wanted to let you know something before I let Hyungseob know. I think you would have an easier time convincing him of its legitimacy than I will." 

Jonghyun nods. V-Ts are the most charismatic and convincing speakers of all the Types and it's only logical that Minhyun will want to deliver a message to Hyungseob through him. "What is it?" 

"I had a vision," Minhyun begins uncertainly, furrowing his eyebrows. "I don't remember it too clearly-" 

"Take your time," Jonghyun interrupts, "You know what happens when you exert yourself." 

"I'm okay," Minhyun reassures, "I remember seeing  _Choon_ 's logo and SKY Medical Enterprises's logo side by side, and a fuzzy image of Sihyun visiting the headquarters and clearing security easily, which has to mean that they're-" 

"-working together," Jonghyun finishes. "You think  _Choon_ 's in cahoots with SKY Medical Enterprisesto bring us down?" 

"Not entirely that," Minhyun continues. "We have two powerful, influential C-Ts and it's no secret among the mafias. We're also the only ones to have C-Ts, especially as higher-ranking members with a lot of resources and skill at their fingertips at that." 

"And this is a problem, because-" 

"Because, as far as  _Daybreak_ is concerned, we cannot lose either Seonho or Guanlin. On top of that, SKY Medical Enterprises has had a few scandals with enraged parents of C-Ts and older C-T members of the public, but these were hastily covered up. And there must be a reason for that." Minhyun sighs. "Think about it. It's the perfect plan. Take down two from the ring of leaders, and  _Daybreak_ cannot function like it's supposed to. And because  _Choon_ is working with SKY Medical Enterprises, they won't be found out by the public because they've got the necessary resources and connections." 

Jonghyun bites his bottom lip. The situation is far more complicated than he thought it would be, and for the first time in his life, he feels that  _Daybreak_ may actually be in danger. 

 

_**Winkboy:**_

"I think there's something wrong with Woojin these days." Jihoon mutters to Hyungseob, accepting the steaming mug of coffee that he brings with him as he steps into the meeting room. It's just the two of them in there and a huge stack of files with reports on  _Choon_ and their past crimes. "He's been staring obsessively at that mindmap again," Jihoon tilts his head at Hyungseob, "You know, the one you rearranged." 

A hint of something flickers across Hyungseob's face for a moment (if Jihoon had to pinpoint it, it would be glee? a smirk?) but as if it were ironed, his features smooth out and he smiles prettily at Jihoon. "Oh, that's nice. I hope he figures something out soon. It's way neater than it was before I arrived." 

"I know," Jihoon reassures, "Should we get started on these files? There's a lot of them." Hyungseob nods, dividing the stack of folders neatly and passing one to Jihoon.

"This is one of the later cases," Hyungseob mutters, "I thought you could start from the top and I could go from the bottom. Might be more efficient." 

Jihoon blinks in bewilderment. In all of his years working with the police force (not that they were numerous or very long), he's never utilised this particular strategy before, but then again, they've never quite had an intern that was as efficient and quickminded as Hyungseob is. "Alright then." 

As he languidly flips through the reports, looking for things that could possibly provide some background information on  _Choon_ and the man who'd come in with information about Tokki (whether he was trustworthy or not; Jihoon had this naggling feeling at the back of his mind that somehow told him that a man like Sihyun could never be trusted, but there was some truth and weight to the words he said). 

"This is funny," Jihoon muses after a while of reading through reports of robberies, gang fights, failed drug smuggling attempts, "It's the first bakery robbery I've ever seen in all these reports. But not a single cent was stolen." 

"Is that what the report says?" Hyungseob asks, frowning as he delicately shuts the folder he's holding and sets it down. "Let me see that." Jihoon obliges, and Hyungseob scans through the report until he gets to the part Jihoon is referring to. 

"Right there," Jihoon points, "See? It says there was nothing stolen." 

"There might not have been," Hyungseob murmurs in a low voice, so soft that Jihoon nearly doesn't catch it, "But that's not like Sihyun at all. To conduct a bakery raid just for the thrill of it and not profit from his activities at all. He's too greedy." 

The cogs in Jihoon's brain turn. Hyungseob's logic makes perfect sense, but if Sihyun didn't intend to take anything from the bakery, then what was he trying to do? "Are you saying he stole something and we missed it? This isn't from too long ago, we can still go back to interview the owners or-" 

"-There's no need." Hyungseob interrupts, tapping his chin. "Sihyun is cunning, but I'm smarter. I know the way he thinks and what he's up to. This was likely a distraction. For something happening further away on the same date. If the blame for mischief falls to  _Choon_ for a harmless incident on the other side of South Korea, who would think that a quiet, undiscovered operation hours away would be associated to them?" 

Jihoon is quiet for a moment. He's never considered the possibility that the gang might have been up to something bigger or that they could fool the police like that. "We have to tell Woojin," Jihoon says after a few heartbeats of hesitation, "He'll know what to do. Maybe pay a trip down to the police division furthest from the bakery and then ask them for any illegal activities that took place on that date." 

In excitement, Jihoon snatches the file from Hyungseob's hands and dashes out of the meeting room to rain a flurry of knocks on Woojin's office door. Just then, a thought occurs to him and he pops his head back into the meeting room, where Hyungseob is idly tracing symbols and characters with his fingertips onto the forms. 

"Just an afterthought," he muses, meeting Hyungseob's gaze, "I was wondering, how do you know Sihyun that well? To my knowledge, you've known the guy for as long as I do." 

Hyungseob shrugs amiably. "A guess." He waves his hand. "Let's just say I know a lot more about crime and gangs than I probably should." 

Jihoon nods. Poor guy was probably obsessed with CSI at some point in his life. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm back faster than I thought I would with a mafia au!! Cheers to me!! But, I have exams coming up, so there'll be one teaser chapter and then none until at least 10 October :((  
> Also, I'll be releasing an explanatory post of the different types and their characteristics on [tumblr](http://daelighthwi.tumblr.com/post/164369753701/the-way-you-let-me-in-on-secrets-that-are-already), so do read it to understand the types better! Feel free to comment below which type you are and make new ones (keep in mind that they follow a sort of medieval theme?? but I'm open to new ideas!! also, try to make it different from the existing types)  
> Enjoy my little world and the mafia au I have and I hope this will be as good as my previous jinseob lol
> 
> i'll be adding song titles as chapter titles so look out for them and comment the songs they're from (if you want to)


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